katherine’s candor - · pdf file02.02.2018 · a tally of responses, ... other...
TRANSCRIPT
Sunday Worship Themes
February 4 - Upside Down King: Upside Down Luke 5:27-39 Pastor Phil preaching
February 11 - Upside Down King: Youth Sunday, Elbiata Singers Luke 6:20-36 Pastor Katherine preaching
February 14 –Ash Wednesday
February 18 -Upside Down King: (Lent 1) Planks and Stones Luke 6:37-42 John 8:2-11 Pastor Katherine preaching
February 25 -Upside Down King: (Lent 2) Don’t Keep the Faith Luke 8:26-39; 10:1-16 Pastor Phil preaching
Katherine’s Candor
For this Lenten season, we are blessed with the opportunity to continue making
our way through the Gospel of Luke, following the way and the life of our Upside
Down King. We will continue to use Carol Duerksen’s curriculum for our worship
series, which is based on the musical she wrote with Doug and Jude Krehbiel.
Lent will begin with an Ash Wednesday service on February 14 from 6:30-
6:45pm, reminding us that God so loved the world, that God sent the only
begotten Son so that the world might be saved through him.
Sunday, February 18 will focus on Luke 6:37-42 and John 8:2-11, reminding
us that when we judge others, we are only a stone’s throw away from judgment
ourselves.
Sunday, February 25 will focus on Luke 8:26-39 and 10:1-16, which speak
of healing, casting out demons, and Jesus’ holistic message of inner peace as
well as our call to be peacemakers.
Sunday, March 4 will focus on Luke 11:1-4 and Matthew 6:9-13. This Sunday
will focus on the Lord’s Prayer. May God’s will indeed be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Sunday, March 11 will focus on Luke 12:13-34, reminding us that, though
today may be filled with anxiety, God is still ultimately in control. May we
store up for ourselves the treasures of the kingdom, which will never be taken
away from us.
Sunday, March 18, we will remember and celebrate Palm Sunday one Sunday
early (so that we can focus on Jesus’ passion the following week). The text
will be Luke 19:28-40. This triumphal entry reminds us that Jesus is a different
type of king, one who comes to us riding on a donkey (and a borrowed one
at that) rather than riding on a magnificent war horse.
Sunday, March 25 will focus on Jesus’ passion found in Luke 22 and 23.
It is a story of trauma, torture, temptation, and terrifying loss. Yet Jesus
remains faithful to the ways of God’s kingdom, even though it comes at a
tremendous cost.
On Wednesday of Holy Week we will celebrate a traditional Seder service,
one that would have been similar to the one that Jesus would have shared
with his disciples in the upper room before his trial and crucifixion. Please
be sure to look for more details as Holy Week draws nearer.
During Lent, we remember and proclaim again the life, passion, and death of our
King. We will have many opportunities to reflect upon whether we, like the
crowds or some of the disciples, will be drawn away by the professed safety,
comfort, and abundance of the empire. Or, will we, like others of the disciples,
follow the upside down ways of our King until the very end?
~Pastor Katherine
Phil’s Ponderings:
Tabor Church Family,
Thank you to everyone who participated actively in our Congregational
consensus-building conversation1 this past Sunday! Throughout our time
together, we listened well to one another, we laughed together, we shared
affirmations and hopes as well as concerns. In the end, we reached an
overwhelming consensus to move forward with the next phase of the building
project. Pastor Katherine and I are honored to be two of your pastors and it
was a joy for us to help facilitate this time of conversation and discernment.
Following is a brief summary of our meeting, including what was presented,
a tally of responses, a summary of affirmations and concerns that were shared,
and the next steps in the process:
Presentations
Following a prayer walk around the proposed new building space, we gathered
in the Fellowship Hall around 12 round tables. Jim Schmidt called the meeting
to order and welcomed presenters from the Finance and Facilities Task Forces
forward. First, Carol Duerksen reminded us of the process we have gone through
over the past years and months to get to where we are today. Next, Lewis Unruh
highlighted our current financial situation related to the fund-raising campaign.
Third, Kenton Nickel described the building plan, referencing the handout
on each table. Finally, Myron Voth described the details for borrowing the
remainder of the money needed for construction. After these presentations,
on behalf of the Finance and Facilities Task Forces, Myron recommended that
we move forward with construction by giving Max Fuqua the green light2,
acknowledging that this means we will likely need to take out a loan of
$400,000 or less. At this point, I introduced the consensus conversation by
referencing the slip of paper with an upside down stoplight on it. I invited each
table group to check for consensus on the proposed direction by going around
the table and having each individual respond with “Green light,” “Yellow
light,” or “Red light” and also give their reasons for why they picked that color.
Tally & Responses:
After table groups heard from each individual at their table, we collected the
following tally: 80 green, 17 yellow, 2 red. This indicates almost 98% consensus
to move forward!
There were a variety of written and verbal responses shared. Yellow and Red
light concerns included: the impact that a large loan will have on our unified
budget, uncertainty if we can sustain higher giving levels, the reality that some
people have given all that they can, church attendance, the desire to pay more
attention to the struggles and needs in the world, and the hope that we could
finish raising the money first before building. Green light affirmations included:
it’s time to move forward, we have a need for additional space, a delay could
break momentum, building will benefit the future of Tabor, trusting that the
rest of the money will come in, and continued excitement for new opportunities
and possibilities that this building will bring.
1Say that 5 times fast! 2After we give Max the green light, it will likely be about 6 months before construction begins.
Tabor Mennonite Women
About 100 women attended the TMW Christmas brunch on Dec. 9. A group of ladies, (Dora Goerzen, Lois Voth, Sharon Unruh and Ilona Abrahams) that meet on a regular basis, had the theme of "service" this past year and they provided decorations and the delicious brunch. Marcene and Karen Andres provided the program, sharing a skit they wrote about two sisters who didn't get along, but met after their mother died to divide the Christmas ornaments that she had left for them. Sharing what they remembered of her special Christmas ornaments bridged a gap that they had for many years. They also shared several piano duets and in their usual manor incorporated humor, too! Their delightful presentation of the children’s story, Jeanette Isabella, was written by Karen.
Submitted by Denise Nickel
Olympic cOuple’s Competition
Sunday, February 18, 3-5 pm Tabor Church Fellowship Hall
Olympic style minute-to-win-it games!
Sign up on the bulletin board
Childcare provided
3. “Green Light” Yes, I suppor t the proposal.
2. “Yellow Light” Yes, I can suppor t the proposal,
although I have some concerns.
1. “Red Light” No, I cannot suppor t the proposal.
Next Steps:
Next steps in the process include:
- The Finance and Facilities Task Forces met on Thursday, February 1
to draft a recommendation to bring to Church Council.
- Church Council will meet on Monday, February 5 to receive the
recommendation, draft a motion that will be brought to congregational
vote on February 11, and begin discussing implications for moving
forward with construction in 2018.
- We will have a congregational vote of affirmation on Sunday,
February 11 following the worship service that morning. While the
consensus conversation indicated our congregation’s strong desire to
move forward, the vote will be the official decision to move forward
and give Max Fuqua the green light.
I want to extend my thanks once again to everyone who participated in this
meeting. It is a true joy to be able to enter into respectful conversation together:
a true community-building exercise! It was also amazing to acknowledge
significant concerns while also seeing a clear and overwhelming consensus for
moving forward. May God’s Spirit continue to lead and direct us as we journey
forward in this process and as we all journey forward in faithfully following Jesus.
~Peace, Pastor Phil
Becoming an effective change agent
is why you should attend Anabaptist
Vision & Discipleship Series (AVDS)
February 23-25, at Hesston College.
You might ask, what can one person
do to stand against “the troubles of this
world”? The challenges are monumental and endless: economic injustice, gender
inequity and racism. AVDS will explore this question and work towards answers.
You can find or create a small group that shares your passion and begin learning
strategies for fighting injustice with others in your congregation and community.
Conference partners, Dr. Drew G.I. Hart and Kansas Leadership Center (KLC)
faculty, will set the stage for our work together. Then, in small, powerful
Change Agent groups, participants can engage each other to develop meaningful
responses and strategies for change. Saturday Change Agent groups will examine
the competencies and listen to the words of Jesus led by Wichita area pastors
Kevass Harding and Lois Harder, Hesston Bible professor Michele Hershberger
and Dr. Hart.
Please sign up on the bulletin board if you plan to attend. Cost is $75, but the
deacons will help offset registration costs. Watch the bulletin for more info.
Karina Brandt: Journey International
Last week, the two Journey International teams from Ecuador and Peru met with Linda Shelly from MMN. They had a retreat in a village near Quito. This week, they are back to work at the church. Karina's work in Quito centers around helping refugees obtain resources like food, language help, school supplies and other items like clothing and housewares. Many of these families have left their home quickly and take nothing with them. They arrive from Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Columbia and many other countries. They are not used to the cooler temps in the higher altitude of Quito. Temps are very mild most of the time (50s-70s) so most home have no air conditioning or heating.
In February, Tabor will be collecting jackets for the program to give to the refugees. This could be a windbreaker, fleece pullover, light sweater or thick flannel shirt or jacket (not winter coats); we can send nice used jackets from a thrift store or new or even some your kids have outgrown. Kids sizes are most needed since they get mostly adult items donated. Other suggestions are brightly colored and size adult large or smaller. You can put them in a large box in the library at church. There will also be a collection box for any money you want to donate to help cover extra shipping costs. Eric, Jill and Emily will be taking them in extra checked baggage when they visit at the end of March. -Jill Litwiller
Karina Brandt Cond. Puertas de Hierro, Casa 5 Ave. Galo Plaza Lazo No. 45-310 Código Postal 170503 Sector el Inca Quito Pichincha Ecuador
MCC Relief Kits
Throughout Lent, we will be colleting supplies for relief kits for MCC during our Sunday morning offering time. Relief kits provide valuable supplies to families whose lives have been disrupted by war or disaster. Shopping lists will be in mailboxes.
from JoyfulNoiseletter.com ©Bill & Jeff Keane Reprinted with permission
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28
12 pm
Newton Lunch
Bunch
6-8pm
Living in a Porn
Filled Culture:
Education with
Brenda Yoder
9:30 am
Worship
10:45 am FF
Adults:
Brenda Yoder
11:45 am: Potluck
7pm
Church Council
Wednesday
Evening
Activities
9:30am Worship
Youth Sunday
10:45 am
Facilities Vote; FF
11:45: TMYF
fundraiser meal
7 pm
TMW
Exchange Student
Program
9:15 am
Community
Prayer
10 am
Staff Meeting
Ash Wednesday
Service and
Evening
Activities
10 am
Stories & Stuff
9:30 am
Worship
10:45 am
Faith Formation
3-5pm
Fellowship Event
9:15 am
Community
Prayer
10 am
Staff Meeting
Wednesday
Evening
Activities
Newsletter
Items Due
9:30 am
Worship
10:45 am: FF
11:45 am:
MCC Fellowship
Meal
9:15 am
Prayer
10 am Staff Mtg
11:30 am
Tabor Ladies
Lunch Bunch
Wednesday
Evening
Activities
Fred & Brenda Schmidt February 3, 45 yrs.
Richard & Sharon Schroeder February 21, 48 yrs.
Patty Wiens & Tim Bechtle February 23, 36 yrs.
Elmer & Lynne Voth February 26, 41 yrs.
1 - LeRoy Goertzen
Justin Graber
2 - Stan Schmidt
Dora Unruh
3 - Roman Chiappetti
4 - Leah Unruh
6 - Richard Voth
9 - Jerry Voth
10 - Christian Graber
Vatiken Unruh
13 - Erica Stoltzfus
14 - Dwight Schmidt
16 - Rodney Franz
17 - Katherine Goerzen
Isabelle Alderfer
18 - Kristin Schmidt
Sharon Unruh
Austin Hiebert
Aubrielle Francis
Lydia Nickel
19 - Kevin Nickel
20 - Jessica Wulf
Adriana Duerksen
21 - Barb Abrahams
David Wedel
22 - Chris Schmidt
Van Schmidt
23 - Tara Duerksen
Nancy Ediger
Tara Cooprider,
Jerry Graber
Carol Schroeder
Laura Goerzen
24 - Lynette Johnston
25 - Jenny Goertzen
Emma Cooprider
26 - Dora Goerzen
27 - Mae Frey
Andrew Seibel
28 - Marcene Entz
Stanley Ediger
Kindra Goertzen
Tabor Church Calendar
Bulletin announcements are due on Thursday mornings, 8am.
Tabor Serves at New Hope Shelter
AVDS at Hesston College